It's Not Official or Anything
by SilverTurtle
Summary: Carter surprises Rosie with a visit and a gift. Fluff. Future fic.


_**A/N:**__ I got a lot of PPP Carter/Rosie feelings after a conversation earlier today and this happened._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own them, just messing around._

_*****'*****_

**IT'S NOT OFFICIAL OR ANYTHING**

_What a long day,_ Queen Rosalinda lamented to herself with a sigh. For such a tiny country Costa Luna certainly took a lot to rule and Rosie had been ruling it for the last seven years in addition to her less well known job as an agent of the Princess Protection Program. She and Carter Mason, her best friend, are the top agents in the program since Major Mason had retired and are in high demand. They go on missions more often than was reasonable given Rosie's other duties also demanded much of her time. She knew they were the best and she loved her job, both of them, but sometimes Rosie wished she could just slow down and enjoy a day of sunshine by the water the way she and Carter had as girls when Rosie was being helped by the PPP and living under an assumed identity in the Mason's home in Louisiana.

That had been the worst and best time of Rosie's life. Worst because her father was recently deceased, her country in peril, her mother held hostage, and she unable to help at all because she'd been taken to a strange place full of odd creatures and hostile youths. And best because she'd met and won over the greatest friend she'd ever had, experienced life as a regular American teenager, become more herself than she'd ever been, and eventually saved her country and taken her place as its Queen. From turmoil to peace her sixteenth year had been most eventful, pivotal in forging her into the woman she'd become, and set her feet on the path towards her future as Queen and agent.

In the years since she'd undergone the training of a PPP agent, learned what it was to be Queen and rule her people, and flourished under the rigors of both. But she had worked these seven years without break, nearly without rest, and she was tired.

She walked calmly towards her quarters showing none of the strain and exhaustion she felt to those of her people still roaming the palace halls. Reaching her door was a relief. Finally she would be able to rest if only for a few hours.

She stepped into her rooms and closed the door behind her, leaving the lights off. She didn't need them, she knew her quarters as well as she knew the sight of her own face in a mirror. She moved through her receiving room to reach her bedroom where she paused in the threshold. Something was off, the air wasn't flowing quite right, but a visual inspection of the room using the moonlight pouring in from her windows revealed nothing amiss. Even so, she was cautious and flipped on the lights just to be sure and so was completely startled when there was someone sitting at their ease in her vanity chair.

"Carter!" Rosie exhaled in a mixture of relief and exasperation, her hand pressed over her suddenly thundering heart, "Must you startle me so? What were you doing sitting in the dark?"

"Gotta keep you in peak condition," Carter answered with a grin, "Means I gotta surprise ya once in a while to see how you react." Then Carter shrugged, "Or maybe I just like making your heart race."

Rosie bit her lip to keep the utterly charmed smile her lips wanted to form from showing, "You, Carter Mason, are insufferable."

Carter stood and approached Rosie for a hug, "It's good to see you, too."

Rosie squeezed Carter around the waist. "It is," she unnecessarily confirmed, "but what are you doing here? Is there a mission? My communication device did not alert me."

"No mission," Carter said as she pulled back just enough to catch Rosie's eyes, "As of fifteen hours ago our team is officially on vacation."

"Then why-" Rosie stopped, not wanting to finish the question and have Carter believe she wasn't pleased with her being here.

Carter read that in her eyes and smiled, "I wanted to see you."

Rosie finally broke their loose embrace and pointed out, "You saw me four days ago when we placed Princess Marguerite."

Carter rolled her eyes remembering the truly irritating young woman they'd had the displeasure of taking to New Zealand. The girl had flat out refused to listen to a thing Carter said merely because Carter didn't have a drop of blue blood in her lineage. She'd listened perfectly to Rosie, whom she'd met at state events in the years previous, but had sneered if Carter so much as looked at her. Carter didn't want to talk about the princess currently known as 'Maggie'. "I meant I wanted to see you when we weren't working. Just us."

Rosie smiled and reached out for Carter's hands, squeezing them, "And here you are."

"Here I am," Carter agreed as she bent forward for a kiss Rosie happily bestowed. Carter hummed against Rosie's lips in satisfaction and pulled back to say, "I'm glad I'm here."

"As am I," Rosie whispered with her forehead pressed lightly against Carter's.

"Oh," Carter suddenly straightened up and disengaged, "I brought you something."

"You brought me something?" Rosie tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Yes, I brought you something," Carter moved back to the vanity and dug through the small bag she'd left on its surface then pulled out a small box, one Rosie recognized as a jewelry box. "Your birthday is coming up."

"My mother is throwing a gala," Rosie smiled, "You are invited, of course."

Carter laughed, "You just wanna see me in a dress again."

Rosie unashamedly admitted with a hearty nod, "That may be one motivation for the invitation, yes."

"As long as Mr. Elegante makes it and it isn't pink," Carter said agreeably while approaching Rosie again.

"Do not be foolish, Carter. He would never dress you in pink." Rosie's eyes took on a playful gleam, "Pink is _my_ color."

"Mm," Carter's eyes traveled the length of Rosie's form taking in the light pink sundress she'd chosen for the day and admiring its adherence to shapely curves, "It does look good on you."

Rosie blushed prettily, "My gift, Carter?"

Carter couldn't stop herself from stealing a peck on Rosie's cheek, "Of course." She brought the box forward and before handing it over to Rosie said, "This belonged to my mother before she passed. Dad gave it to me when I was eighteen and told me I should wear it when I met the right person. Well, I've met the right person and I think she should wear it." She released the box into Rosie's grip and watched her open it and gasp.

"Carter," Rosie breathed, "It is beautiful." Rosie pulled out a small silver band with a line of inset pink diamonds. An engagement ring.

"I know we can't make anything official," Carter said softly, "But I wanted you to have this anyway."

"Carter, I can not accept this," Rosie tried to press it back into Carter's hands but she wouldn't take it, "It belonged to your mother and-"

"And I can't imagine there ever being anyone else I'd want to wear it," Carter said with her voice a little rough. "You're everything to me, Rosie. I love you. You know that. Besides, pink _is_ your color." Carter took the ring in one hand and Rosie's left hand in the other, smoothly sliding the ring onto the appropriate finger. "Perfect fit," she grinned a little triumphantly.

Rosie took a deep breath and let happy tears slip out. Her hand shook as she took in the sight of her newly adorned finger, marveling that Carter could make such a momentous gesture look so effortless. At a loss for words Rosie did the one thing she knew wouldn't require them and pulled Carter down into a kiss full of all the feelings she was overwhelmed with. When she ended the kiss she looked into Carter's own teary eyes with wonder, reading the question in them and responding with a nod, "I love you, Carter. I am yours. Always."

Carter kissed her again, briefly, "And I'm yours. Always."

"Always?" Rosie smiled, tasting that word on her tongue and liking it.

"Yes, always," Carter grinned.

**THE END**

*****'*****

_**A/N:** I wanted so badly to make a joke about Rosie's rosy cheeks. My restraint had better be appreciated._


End file.
